IN A major coup for Mid Wales one of Britain’s top sporting events, the Tour of Britain, has announced one of its stages will start from Newtown.
It will be the first time that the tour, the British equivalent of the Tour de France, will visit Wales since 2004.
Stage three of the tour will start in Newtown on September 13 before taking the 96 competitors on a 150km journey to Swansea, taking in Llandrindod Wells and Builth Wells on the way.
The event will bring thousands of fans to Mid Wales along with top riders, including double Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, who revealed on his Twitter page this week that after discussions with his coach he is looking to take part in the tour.
Last year Wiggins’ fourth placed finish in the Tour de France made him the highest placed Briton to compete in the tour since Robert Millar in 1984 and joint top Briton ever.
Powys County Councillor, Wynne Jones, said the event will provide a major boost to the Mid Wales economy and will showcase the area on national and international television.
He said: “It’s a major coup for Mid Wales and I understand we are not having it just for this year but the following two years as well.
“It’s tremendous, it will bring in thousands and thousands of people and the beautiful thing about it is it’s a Monday so we will get a lot of people coming in over the weekend which is good news as well.
“There are 38 teams and their entourages, and there will be thousands of followers and a huge press corps around it as well as TV coverage with pictures of Mid Wales going around the world.”
Cllr Jones said the event would require a lot of work to ensure it puts Mid Wales on the map.
He said: “We have to be absolutely sure we’re doing absolutely everything to capture this opportunity. I’ve been talking to council officers this morning looking at what we, the council, need to do to maximise the opportunities that are presenting themselves here.”
Cllr Jones also hailed the opportunity for Mid Wales’ youngsters to watch some of cycling’s top stars.
He said: “It’s a great opportunity for Mid Wales youngsters to view a top class sporting event in Mid Wales.”
The tour will feature 96 of the world’s top cyclists and 16 professional teams, competing over eight days, starting on September 11 in Rochdale.
Michael Bennett, Technical Director of The Tour of Britain, said: “We are delighted to be bringing the race back into Wales this year and look forward to a tough stage into Swansea this year.
“On the way from the Grand Depart to the final stage in London, riders will face tough routes and intense competition, while taking in some breathtaking views of our wonderful country.”
Coverage of the tour will be shown on ITV, with hour-long nightly highlights on ITV4, between 7pm and 8pm, with repeats the following day.